Stoking mechanism



J. M. HOPWOOD.

STOKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1948.

Paiented D 20, 1921;

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 19.18.

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STOK ING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. I918.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921-.

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STOKIN G MECHAN ISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

Application filed February 20, 1918. Serial No. 218,269.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN M. HOPWOOD, residing at Dormont, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen ofthe United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Stoking Mechanism, of which improvement the following isa specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in stoking mechanism, such improvements being especially applicable to the type or construction of furnace having atrough extending from the front to the rear of the furnace, into which the fuel is fed in such manner as to overflow the sides of the trough onto the fuel supporting surfaces extending in opposite directions from the respective edges of the trough, the fuel being caused to move along the grate surfaces toward the ashpits by the reciprocation of portions of such surfaces. The object of the improvements described herein is to provide for the forcing of fuel into the trough by a reciprocating ram or plunger and for the reciprocation of the movable members of the grate surfaces in directions at an angle to the movement of the feed plunger, by the latter or parts moving synchronously therewith. The lnvention is hereinaftermore fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in sec tion of a furnace embodying the improvements described herein; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the front of the furnace, the plane of section being indicated by the lines II-JI, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, the plane of section being coincident with the axis of the fuel trough and indicated by the lines III-III, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on a plane indicated by the line-IVIV, Fig. 3, showing a preferred construction of fuel trough.and fuel sup porting surfaces, the fuel pushing blocks being omitted; and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view.

In the practice of the invention, the fuel is fed into the open upper end of ahopper 1 of the usual or any suitable construction.

This hopper is arranged in front of the'furmace and connects at its lower end with a throat piece 2 preferably cylindrical in cross section, projecting through the front wall of the furnace in line with the feed trough 3, which is arranged longitudinally of the fur- 1 through the throat into the trough, occupies such a position in the shell that the fuel will drop frorn'the hopper into the throat filling the portion of the same in front of the plunger. As the latter moves forward, fore-'- ing fuel in the throat, it will close the opening from the hopper into the throat.

In order to prevent the fuel from piling up in the front portions of the trough, means are provided for effecting a practically uniform distribution of the fuel along the trough, such for example as a series of push blocks 7 secured to a rod 8 extending along the trough in such relation to the bottom that the lower ends of the blocks will bear upon and move along the bottom. of the trough. The rod 8 is connected to an arm 9 movable synchronously with the plunger and preferably secured'thereto so that as each charge is forced into the trough, the fuel lying therein is moved along to maintain a uniform distribution. The fuel is fed in and distributed until it is piled above the edges of the trough andwill spread laterally onto the ends, ofthe fuel supporting surfaces,

bers, preferably constructed as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 1,319,584 dated October 21st, 1919, to John M. Hopwood.

In the construction shown herein the stationary grate bars a are spaced suitable distances apart and the spaces between said bars are bridged by the heads I) of the movable bars, the web 0 of the latter extending down between adjacent stationary bars. These webs are provided with teeth which intermesh with teeth on beams d carried by arms 10 on shafts 11. These shafts are supported in suitablebearings below and at an angle to the direction of movement of the movable members of the fuel supporting surfaces. project through the front of the furnace, have arms 12 secured thereto. the free ends of said arms being engaged by slides 13 adapted to be reciprocated by the fuel feeding mechanism. A convenient means for reciprocating the slides (which move par- The ends of these shafts which allel with the front of the furnace) by the feed mechanism which reciprocates at an angle to the front of the furnace and to the means employed for rocking the shafts 11, is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the'drawings and consists of toothed bars 14' suitably connected to a movable member of the feed mechanism, as the plunger 5, the connectionbetween the plunger and bars being formed by arms 15 projecting through slots 16 in the shell 4. These toothed bars which aresupported by the arms substantially parallel with the axis of the plunger, en-

gage pinions 17 on short shafts 18 mounted in bearings on the front of the furnace and having secured thereon pinions 19 adapted to engage toothed portions 20 of the slides 13. The connections of the slides with the arms 12 are preferably made adjustable in order to change the range of movement of the movable members of the fuel supporting surfaces without changing" the movements of the'slides. While other means would readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, the constructlon shown is suitable and consists in forming' a series of holes 21 in the slides for the 7 reception of pins 22 on theopposite sides of the arms 12. By shifting the positions of the pins on the slides the range of moverequire, as also the time of movement of such members relative to the operation of the fuel feed mechanism, i. 6., simultaneous With'such operation or following an initial I movement of the feed mechanism.

As will be understood by those skilledin the art, the slides 13 can be employed for operating other devices inthe furnace such ,as oscillating the ash supporting plates 23,

each of which has one edge pivotally connected to a suitable support, while its opposite edge is supported by arms 24 on the shaft 25. On these shafts are secured arms 36 which are connected by links 37 to arms 38 on'shafts 39, which are rotated by worms 4.0 v engaging toothed sectors 41 secured on .said shafts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. By.

eachhaving one end secured on a shaft25 and their opposite ends adjustably connected to the slides by pins'27 ad'apted to be inserted in holes 28, in the slides. The shafts 25" are provided with arms 26 which are connected by links to the .ash plates as shown in Fig. 4. By suitably arranging the Fig. 3 ment of the movable grate members can be t changed asconditions in the furnace may,

pins, the range of movement of the ash plate and its time of movement relative'to the operation of the feed mechanism and the reciprocation of the movable member, can be readily and quickly changed. I In order to regulate the movement of the coal through the hopper and into the throat of the feed trough, an opening is formed in a wall of the hopper, preferably the rear wall and in this opening is hung a swinging gate 29, preferably-provided with a bottom plate 30 to prevent the coal from being forced up back of the gate and through the opening. Any suitable means'may be 6II1-' ployed for shifting the gate and holding it in any desired position, such for example as that shown consisting of threaded rods 31 having their rear ends 'swiveled to laterally projecting lugs 32 on the gate andextending forwardly through threaded openings in lugs 33 in the hopper. By rotating these threaded rods the gate can be shifted and held in any desired position.

The hopper is also provided with a slide 354 at or adjacent to its lower end for the purpose of preventing coal fromv entering the throat; and in order. to facilitate the removal of coal from the hopper, a door 35 is arranged in the side wall as'shown in will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the front face of the plunger 5 is dished, thereby forming a peripheral cutting edge which assists in breaking up lumps of coal lodging between the hopper wall and the plunger.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. In a staking mechanism the combination of means for feeding fuel into a furnace, fuel supporting means'having members movable longitudinally to advance the fuel in a direction at a right angle to the direction of the feed'of fuel, an'ashsupportmg plate movable in the same direction as the fuel supports and connections'from the fuel feeding means to the movable members of the fuel supporting means and to the ash plate and adapted to reciprocate thefuel supporting means and the ash plate simultaneously.

2. In a stoking mechanism the combina tion of areciprocating plunger for feeding fuel into a furnace, fuel supporting means having members movable longitudinally in a. dlrection to advance the fuel at an angle to the movement of the plunger, a movable ash plate means for adjusting the angular position of the ash plate and means operative by the plunger for reciprocating the. movablefuel supporting means and the ash plates'without changing the angular position of the ash plate." I

3. In a stoking mechanism the combination of a trough, means for feeding fuel into the trough, fuel supporting means extending in opposite directions from the trough and having movable elements for advancing the fuel along said supporting means, movable ash plates and adjustable connections from the fuel feeding means to the movable elements of the fuel supporting means and to the ash plates, whereby the movable elements and one of the ash plates on one side of the trough may be given movements differing as regards the extent, position and occurrence from the movements of the movable elements and'the other ash plate on the opposite side of the trough.

4. In a stoking mechanism the combination of fuel supporting means having movable elements for advancing fuel along such means, a movable ash plate, means for feeding fuel upon the supporting means. means adapted to be operated by the fuel feeding means for operating said movable elements and the ash plate, and independent and adjustable connections from the movable elements and the ash plate to their operating means whereby the movable fuel advancing elements may be given a movement differ ing as regards range and occurrence from the movement imparted to the ash plate.

5. In a furnace the combination of a series of stationary grate bars, a series of movable grate bars alternating with the bars of the other series, an ash supporting member, a reciprocating member. independent and adjustable connections from the movable grate bars and the ash supporting member to the reciprocating member, whereby the mo able grate bars may be given a movement differ ing as regards range and occurrence from the movement imparted to the ash supporting member.

6. In a furnace the combination of a trough or retort. means for feeding coal into said retort. a fuel supporting means consisting of alternating stationary and movable grate bars arranged at an angle to the direction of movement of coal in to the retort. a slide. means for reciprocating the slide in a direction at an angle to the movement of the fuel into the retort by the coal feeding means and adjus'able connections from said slide to the movable grate bars whereby the movable grate bars on one side of the trough may be given a movement differing as regards extent. position and occurrence from the movement imparted to the bars on the other side of the trough.

7. In a furnace the combination of a trough or retort.- reciprocating means for forcing coal into the retort. a fuel supporting means consisting of alternating stationary and movable bars arranged at an angle to the direction of movement of the fuel into the retort. a movable ash supporting member. a slide bar adapted to be reciprocatcd by the fuel feeding means and independent and adjustable connections from the movable bars and ash supporting member to the reciprocating slide bar.

8. In a st-oking mechanism the combination of a trough, means for feeding fuel into the trough, fuelsupporting means extending from opposite sides of the trough and having mo able members for advancing the fuel. a motor. independent and adjustable connections embodying intermeshing toothed elements operating interposed between the motor and the movable members of the respective fuel supporting means whereby movements differing as regards extent. position and occurrence may be imparted to the movable members of the respective fuel supporting means.

9. In a stoking mechanism the combination of a trough. means for feeding fuel into the trough, fuel supporting means extending in opposite directions from the trough. and having movable elements for advancing fuel along the fuel supporting means. a pair of toothed bars adapted to be rec-iprocated. by the fuel feeding means. a second pair of toothed bars arranged substantially pa allel with the fuel supporting meztns, vertical shafts having pinions engaging respectively the two sets of toothed bars. shafts provided with means for engaging the movable fuel supports. arms secured to the last named shafts and adjustable means on the second set of toothed bars for engaging said arms.

10. In a stoking mechanism the combination of a trough. means for feeding fuel into and along the trough. fuel supporting means extending in opposite directions from the trough and having movable elements for advancing fuel along the fuel supporting means. a movable ash supporting plate. apair of toothed bars adapted to be reciprocated by the fuel feeding means. a second pair of toothed bars arranged substantially parallel with the fuel supporting means. verti 'al shafts having pinions adapted to engage the two sets of toothed bars. horizontal shafts having operating connections to the movable elements of the fuel supporting means and the ash supporting plate. arms secured to said horizontal shafts and ad justable means on the second pair of toothed bars for engaging and shifting the said arms.

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN M. norwooo. 

